Your sadistic high-school PE teacher is the reason you hate exercising years later

By Sam Downing| 1 year ago

A new study confirms that those who had a bad time in PE classes tend to grow up to hate exercise.

There are two types of people in the world: those who loved PE classes back in their school days, and those who coursed with morbid dread

New research demonstrates that — not so surprisingly — those in the first category tend to grow into active adults, while those in the second struggle to stay fit well into middle-age.

Dr Anne Elliott, a senior lecturer in sports science at Middlesex University, surveyed hundreds of people about their memories of physical education classes, and found that those who had a bad time experience a phenomenon dubbed "corporeal dissociation".

That's basically where you feel disconnected from and unaware of your physical self, which can result in a lifelong aversion to physical activity and a higher chance of choosing sedentary jobs or hobbies.

Elliott launched her investigation after noticing a pattern among personal trainers: many of them told her they had middle-aged clients who couldn't find the motivation to exercise, and all those clients had very negative memories of PE.

"I hated every minute of PE as I didn’t have physical or mental confidence," said one woman. "I was the one that hid at the back. I thought the PE teachers were horribly sadistic and were always picking on me to come to the front and perform in front of my class."

"I hated PE at school and thought the PE teachers saw me as a ‘dead loss’," one man said.

"I absolutely hated PE at school. I was no good at it and PE teachers made me do things that I couldn’t do," another woman said.

On the other hand, those who relished PE classes and recalled good relationships with their teachers often developed a long-lasting love of sport and physical activity.

But all is not lost if your adolescent aversion to PE classes means you find it tough to exercise as an adult. Elliott believes it's possible for PE haters to overcome corporeal dissociation and "reconnect or reassociate with their bodies and physicality".

"With the right training, they can actually enjoy exercise, get fitter and get healthier," she said in a statement.

"It is essential that we find solutions to the world’s sedentary problem. Discovering what puts people off being more active is a vital part of this, and my research has a key role to play."

Elliott’s research backs up a 2010 Canadian study which also determined that humiliation in physical education classes during your childhood years can permanently turn you off fitness — particularly those caused by a mean PE teacher.